AN ~ Very sorry to the readers of Life is Harder and A Valuable Experience...I haven't updated those in aaaaaaaaages. I am working on the next chap of LiH though (nearly finished, should be up v. soon).

Reviews: I was interested to read ppls opinions on Jasper a prominent feature of the (unfortunately small number) of reviews I have been getting - I'm glad I'm not letting him seem too heartless.

Disclaimer: Eclipse nor the characters are mine :( It was rather inconvenient that Jane and Carlisle had never met until now - grrrr! - but her reputation certainly proceeds her

Chapter Forty: Jane

"When?" I asked.

"Soon - only a few minutes."

"What do we do?" Edward asked anxiously. "Carlisle?"

I felt everyone's eyes on me, a painfully heavy load. I shook my head to clear it. This was exactly the kind of situation I had been trying to avoid. Bella and Jacob couldn't help us now, either. There was no point worrying about it though: we couldn't fight them, we couldn't run, so we would just have to face whatever was coming to us.

"That's it?" Edward demanded. "Wait and see. That's your brilliant plan."

"Well sorry, Mister Perfect, but can you think of anything better?" Rosalie snapped. "We can't fight them. We sure as hell can't run now. This was always going to happen, anyway."

"Thank you, Rose. That's enough," I interrupted before Edward could reply. "Alice, try and get a fix on the time, please. Edward; the Volturi may or may not be using underhanded tactics to attempt to destroy this family, but trust me when I say they are not blunt enough to sweep in here with an army and wipe us out. If nothing else, it would be far too hard to clean up."

Edward nodded, kicking the dirt with the toe of his shoe, and glanced anxiously at where the unconscious Bella was now lying on the grass.

"Carlisle, it's been five minutes," he reminded me.

"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward," I told him - not for the first time. "She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself."

"Alice, how long do we have?" Edward asked, distressed.

"Another five minutes," Alice replied. "And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt that she can hear us now."

"Bella honey?" Esme crooned, leaning in Bella's direction. "Can you hear me? You're safe now, dear."

Edward murmured something into Bella's ear, and her eyelids fluttered. A smile touched Esme's lips and radiated in her eyes. I moved away from Edward and Bella to give them some space, sliding an arm around Esme's waist instead, quietly sharing the joy at our family's reunion and trying not to think of our soon-to-be visitors.

"Oh, Bella," Edward murmured, leaning over and pressing his lips gently to hers.

"Edward," she mumbled.

"Yes, I'm here," he assured her breathlessly.

She finally opened her eyes.

"Jacob is okay?" she asked, still sounding drowsy.

"Yes," Edward replied, reluctant to say more on the subject.

"I examined him myself," I explained: it was understandable Bella was concerned about her friend, even he was a werewolf. "His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady.

"As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to convince him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier – I've never been to veterinary school." I smiled slightly; that would be even more ironic than my being a doctor!

"What happened to him?" Bella demanded, flustered. "How bad are his injuries?"

"Another wolf was in trouble-"

"Leah," Bella put in.

"Yes," I agreed, struggling to remember if we had even learnt the wolves' names. Jacob I knew – that was fairly obvious – and Sam, the leader, but the others were largely anonymous. Bella had more interaction with today's pack than I did, though, and Edward had told her the story, so I trusted her judgements on names.

"He knocked her out of the way," I explained, "but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right side of his body were shattered."

Bella flinched.

"Sam and Paul got there in time," I continued, recalling the names from what Edward had told me. "He was already improving when they took him back to La Push."

"He'll be back to normal?" she asked, her face regaining some colour.

"Yes, Bella, he won't have any permanent damage," I assured her. Bella took a deep breath.

"Three minutes," Alice said quietly.

.o.o.o.

We gathered around the dying bonfire and waited for our visitors. Jasper stood guardedly beside Bree, who was still moaning and clawing at the ground in anguish. Esme was quivering with anticipation in my arms, restlessly rubbing her palms with her fingers and switching her weight from foot to foot.

"Shhh, Esme, we'll be okay," I promised, kissing the top of her head.

"I know we'll be okay...but what about Bree?" she wondered quietly.

I hesitated. I had never seen a newborn surrender, so none had been offered a second chance. The Volturi were not so willing to grant mercy as I was. In their eyes, a law-breaker was just that, and deserved their punishment, no matter how repentant they may be. We could put forward Bree's case to them and they would have to decide.

"We can hope," was all I said.

Esme sighed, and I kissed the top of her head.

Suddenly, Bree screeched. A shiver ran through me and I sprung to defend her from Jasper, who was crouched, poised to attack. In less than a second I was at his side with a hand on his arm, holding him back.

"Have you changed your mind, young one?" I asked calmly, looking to the fearful red eyes of the newborn. Bree was torn between what she wanted now, and what she knew she'd prefer in the long-term. The fact that she would be destroyed if she attacked Bella didn't register into the equation.

"We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself," I explained.

"How can you stand it?" Bree groaned, the first intelligible sentence she had made since Bella entered the clearing. "I want her."

"You must stand it," I commanded firmly, trying to be gentle with the confused girl but finding myself running out of time. There was only a handful of seconds before the Volturi arrived. "You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now."

Bree held her hands to her head, moaning quietly, and Jasper gave me a dark look as he and I started backing towards the others. Bree whimpered. I felt so cruel for leaving her out in the open like that. We had to be open, though. Secrets on our behalf were a danger - it was risky enough having to hide the werewolves' significant contribution to the battle.

Edward, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Esme were all converged around Bella now. Jasper hardened his expression as the Volturi representatives emerged from the trees.

"Hmm," someone announced their arrival, their voice flat and unamused.

"Welcome, Jane," Edward greeted without enthusiasm. I had heard a lot about Jane from Aro over the years, and though we had never met, I was not surprised that Edward was so cold towards her. She had the ability to inflict an illusion of pain on whomsoever she wished - Aro claimed it was a valuable interrogation tool. He had never expressedly told me, but from inadvertent references in stories, I got the impression that Jane used her abilities with abandon: being one of Aro's favourites gave her a higher status than the rest of the guard, save her brother Alec. His ability was in the form of a mist he could produce, which numbed the senses of those on trial. He too was held highly by Aro, and he too seemed a sour character. The two of them headed 'surveillance operations,' as well as destruction of threats.

I couldn't help wondering - who was the threat here? The newborn army in Seattle would be the official answer they would give, but had Edward and Alice been right in their suspicions?

"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"

"Caius' idea," Edward suggested.

"...or Jane's." Alice added.

It was getting more and more difficult to defend the Volturi's professionalism. As much as I hated the suggestion, I had always known Aro's thirst for mystery, for theatre, for power was dangerously consuming. He was a cultured man; a little mad perhaps, but kind to those who he felt had earned it - his enemies, however, came to rue the day they were born. Two such enemies, Stephan and Vladimir - the only survivors of the revolt Aro and his brothers had taken up against the ancient Romanian rulers - have to this day been plotting their revenge, fuelled by a fiery hatred Aro himself ignited. They won't carry it out, though. Aro will wipe them out before they get the chance - perhaps, as with us, he'll send Jane to do the job.

All four Volturi had lowered their cowls now, and I diplomatically examined the selection Aro had sent to take care of the situation: Jane, Alec, brawny Felix and loyal Demetri. A formidable task force.

I contemplated the balance of power we now found ourselves in. Bella, being human, was worth the least to the Volturi. Slightly above her were the rest of the family, then higher than that, Demetri and Felix. Being the leader of a coven, I ranked higher than the guard. Unfortunately, Alec and Jane ranked even higher than me. If Aro's description of the relationship between the twins was anything to go on, Alec usually agreed with or deferred to his sister's decisions.

Jane holds the highest rank here.